When a south Indian thinks about a 2-3 days outing, the first thing comes into the mind is all about a Ooty Kodaikanal tour. It's the climate which attracts most of the people to these places. Kodaikanal is a city in the hills of Dindigul district , Tamil Nadu. Kodaikanal , also known as Kodai is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a retreat and popular tourist destination. At a height of nearly 7000 feet from the sea level , this town is a magnet for nature lovers , as there are a plenty of cliffs , valleys , lakes , water falls and hills.
The phots in this blog are captured during my second trip to Kodai with my friends in 2013. I had visited this place around 10 years back. This trip was very short and the plan was only for 2 days. We had done a good homework on the question 'what to see in Kodaikanal'. We took a printout of the interesting places and decided about the place to see in the limited time. Our picks were Pambayar falls , Dolphin Nose ,Pine forest , Pillar Rock , Suicide point , and finally the Kodai Lake. The following are some of the snaps captured at these places. As usual , my priority was on nature photography during this trip.
A view from Dolphin Nose
Pambar Falls
Pine Forest
The question 'Where to stay in Kodaikanal' is the another matter of concern which has to be handled intelligently. There are so many hotels in Kodaikanal. The hotels near to the town area are so costly to afford. Most of the people will think about a budget stay. There are some good cottages and homestays also available , which will serve our basic needs. My friends had done a good research on this and found out a cottage 'Kairali Holiday Inn' , which is around 3 km from the town.There were 5 beds in the single room , with bathroom attached and also a small TV. They served us the breakfast too. Overall it was a good and comfortable stay , considering the budget ( I don't remember how much we paid , and it is irrelevant as the tariff could have changed by this time).
Kodai Lake
Pillar Rocks
Street shops - On the way to Suicide point
Craggy Mountains - @ Coakers Walk
Outskirts of Kodai
There are a lot to do in Kodai like cycling , boating , horse riding , trekking etc. People can also wander near by the lakes , hills , and waterfalls. An awesome experience of life time. But we should not forget to buy home made chocolate bars. There are a plenty of shops in Kodai , which sells chocolates , spices , oils etc. The chocolates are very good in quality and of low cost. We can buy it as a gift to our friends & children and proudly say "I had a trip to Kodai" last day.
As a set of similar places , I can suggest Yelagiri and Vagamon from the list where I travelled. However those places are nowhere near to Kodai , as far as popularity , climate and satisfactions is concerned.
Street Foodies
How to reach Kodaikanal
We traveled by train to Kodai Road from Chennai. From there , we took a cab to reach the cottage. The cab was pre-booked online. Please see the following tips to reach Kodai. (Source : WikiTravel)
By plan
The closest airports to Kodaikanal are Trichy 150km, Madurai 120km and Coimbatore 175km.
By train
Nearest railway station is Kodai Road at a distance of 100km. From Kodai road station, one has to travel only by road. Taxis are available for hire up to Kodaikanal but since these might the only mode of transport here, the prices are often not negotiable.
Another Railway station that is quite close is Dindigul Railway station. It is easier to come to kodai using this station as it is a much bigger city. Once you get down at the Dindigul Railway station, you can get an autorickshaw for around ₹50 to come to the Dindigul bus stand. And from there, there are frequent buses to Vathlagundu from where there are many buses to Kodai. Straight buses are available from Dindigul to Kodaikanal as well, but you might have to wait for an hour or so. It takes around 1 hour from Dindigul to Vathlagundu (Batlagundu) and then about 2 hours from Vathlagundu to Kodaikanal by bus.
By bus
Kodaikanal is about 90km from Dindigul city and there are plenty of buses plying from various parts of the state.Buses ply from Chennai, Pondicherry, Trichy, Madurai, Dindigul,Palani and Coimbatore.
From Madurai government buses depart frequently from the Arappalayam Bus stand. Cost is 70rs and takes roughly 4 hours.
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